Stuart Taylor Motorsport LOCOBLADE

[bjw970s]

I bought my STM LOCOBLADE 2 years ago having raced tintops for a short while.  The attraction was power to weight ratio and the simplicity of a kitcar over a slowly rusting 80's saloon car

I spent the first winter going from a quick freshen up to a total re-panel, followed by a rollcage change (rear-hoop to full cage), rear disc conversion (its an escort live axle so lots of options from the escort modifiers).  re did the wiring loom (the car was a 750MC car whci had been converted from Ford crossflow to Fireblade) which is not pretty but easy to access for those quick fixes or checks. New dash with SPA design dual guage (super bit of kit if a wee bit pricey)

I also added a swirl pot and LP and HP pumps as unsually it had been gravity fed to the front HP, and after a very good christmas/birthday from the wife changed to front brakes to wilwoods (actually v good value).  A lot of the mods were allowed as I wasn't racing 750 MC.

I then started racing it and getting used to the rwd short wheel base high revving beast that I had bought.

The car was frankly a bloomin handful in the wet and a then via a friend of mine who has been racing kit cars for years discoverd PROCOMP and had the car properly corner weighted. shocks dyno'd and set up.

This helped the handling but it was still a handful and next birthday(understanding wife ) it was protech shocks valve'd to suit a kitcar all round.

A number of minor tweeks followed incl a few changes of seat to get the right posture.

A relatively good season in 2009 with the best coming last in the form of the Birkett 6 hour relay race.  Having won in 2008 we were keen to hang on in there again.  unfortunately the weather didn't clear as expected and after a shunt on one of my other cars  went out early in still bad weather.  It was a case of when rather than if a spin was going to ocurr and mine happened to close to the apex at abbey and there is no run off.

Long'ish summary but the car is now back in the garage having eventually got it to procomp for the repairs and some nice suspension mods as the old suspension was shot anyway........

So some winter work to be done quickly for a thankfully late season start in may.

['The Gaffer']

Very interesting read, hope all the new mods work out and good luck for the next season

Maybe we might catch you on a club run out one day.

[bjw970s]

Very interesting read, hope all the new mods work out and good luck for the next season

Maybe we might catch you on a club run out one day.

Have to bring along a road car as no kit car on the road at the moment>

But will try and get along

The problem with liking cars is that you like to modify them, so I have a list of jobs to do on my trailer, my Landy, my kit car; it never ends.

So, priorities (STM):

Replace Radiator - had a very nice Radtec one which despite the efforts of PRCOMP wasn't to be saved. Because of the cost and the potential for more nose damage will be using Polo Rads as they are cheap.

To ensure cooling (to offset the less efficient rad) will construct some ducting to duct air over the rad.

Move reservoirs and tidy brake lines - The car runs a bias floor mounted pedal box with resevoirs on the cylinders, remoting kit from Rally design to make them more accessible, and tidy or replace origonal copper brake lines; One of the strangely satisfying things I have achieved in working on the kit car is learning to make both braided and copper lines - much easier than I thought.

Fit new Tillett seat that is HANS compatible; second hand bargain and best shell seat i have tried in the STM.

Paint and tidy chassis after 12 months hard racing!

Brian

['The Gaffer']

Yep, I know the feeling, always something to do

Have to bring along a road car as no kit car on the road at the moment>

Is your Midas off the road too?

[Richard]

Good read.

This modifying virus is certainly going around, I have to keep trying to fight it off in the build process, who knows what it will be like when built, the list is already quite long.

Look forwards to hear how you get on and to seeing you at the next meet.

[bjw970s]

Alas MIDAS 'work in progress'

After many years modifying mini's (too much!!) I try and test and then modify.  In my limited experience and on the advice of friends, I try and get the best from the car before developing.  With the blade, the power to weight ratio is good and I have concentrated on handling and reliability.

The cost balance is also an issue......

['The Gaffer']

Do we have pics of your cars in the members gallery?

My blade hasn't missed a beat - touch wood

[bjw970s]

Do we have pics of your cars in the members gallery?

My blade hasn't missed a beat - touch wood

My faults have mainly been race induced

The blade engine (mine is straight out of a scrapyard) is the most reliablepart of the car

pics in the gallry to follow

[bjw970s]

Who would have thought a radiator could be such an issue.....

One of the outstanding issues from the off, was the need to replace my radiator.  As those of you with sevenesque cars will know, space in the nose cone is at a premium, so I had fitted a Radtec poloesque radiator during the re-build, but as the front is a vulnerable area, the alloy rad took some of the impact and was badly damaged.

I had decided to fit a polo ally rad as these are the 'standard' rads used.  What I didn't account for the variation in sizes for the polo.  So, having been sold one that 'should fit' and getting another that 'nearly fitted', I spent a valuable hour in the paddock at combe measuring rads and taking serial numbers thanks to willing competitors in the LOCOSTS. Arrow Radiators in melksham (worth phoning if you are after rad advice, as they can repair rads at their work shop and have a vast range (hear's hoping they can repair my ally one)

One of the reasons for changing from the radtec was cost; I can get 5 polo rads for 1 radtec.  The 1st one will be an experiment to ensure that it provides sufficent cooling with thermostatic fan.  It does however mean fabricating new mounts, which will take some time and, probably changing inlet and outlet sizes.   I will also make a front duct to duct the air from the nose cone.

I have used silicon hoses cut to size which has a benefit of making it easier to alter the configuration.

Another 'not a 5 minute job'

[Richard]

Can just picture you going around the paddock collecting radiator serial numbers, I've heard of train spotting but not radiator spotting before. 

sounds like you've found a good solution !

[bjw970s]

Can just picture you going around the paddock collecting radiator serial numbers, I've heard of train spotting but not radiator spotting before. 

sounds like you've found a good solution !

It did feel a bit 'anorack'y'  however it was useful and people were very understanding!

even had a camera with me for those nice mods you see on peoples cars

['The Gaffer']

It did feel a bit 'anorack'y'  however it was useful and people were very understanding!

even had a camera with me for those nice mods you see on peoples cars

My car is built on a Stuart Taylor chassis if you need any more measurements.

Can you post some pics of the mods?

[bjw970s]

It did feel a bit 'anorack'y'  however it was useful and people were very understanding!

even had a camera with me for those nice mods you see on peoples cars

My car is built on a Stuart Taylor chassis if you need any more measurements.

Can you post some pics of the mods?

Thanks!

I was going to ask you about your Klicktronix as I have one in a box waiting to be fitted and haven't got round to it yet.

I got the new rad today and it fits in the nose cone well.  Just need to make up some brackets to hold it, and get some additional pipework to fit.

['The Gaffer']

No probs, my kliktronic is now being used with a trickshifter for clutchless up and down shifts. You can take a look at a meet.

Fitting thread here http://bristolkitcarclub.co.uk/smf2/index.php?topic=416.0

[bjw970s]

After much debate and a drive of the new Sylva J15 - very nice car and well screwed together - I have taken a left turn and bought something else.

I have taken the blade to the maxm in terms of sensible development so it was time to look elsewhere.  I wanted to build a car but work simply wouldn't have allowed me to get to the road and track in a reasonable timescale.

So, what to do?  A road registered race car was the aim and I considered fury, westfield, striker, R1ot etc.  I also considered spares, repairability and spares costs.

I enjoy my stuart taylor but it subscribes very much to the school of though that you have to make things fit.  So I was verging towards a megabusa westfield.

Whilst looking, my mate advised me he was selling his newly race built Elise S1 which was still road legal, and came with a spare elise engine, box, 3 sets of wheels and tyres etc.

Mmm, price was right, 180bhp (dyno'd at wheels) engine with 2 hours on it, nitrons all round, re-built suspension, fully set up and nicely done (emerald ECU, Jenvey throttle bodies, VHPD engine, solid lifters etc etc)

Sold to the man in wiltshire!!!

I now have a car which is reasonable to maintain (more so than you probably realise having done the research), ready to race, and having driven it yesterday on the road; flexible. And it keeps to the kit car ethos of tunability and modding.

Just need to sell the blade now

so If you want a full race locoblade with lots of spares and ready to go let me know!

Brian

['The Gaffer']

The J15 would have been a great choice - as you know built on the Riot chassis but the Elise is a track favourite too.

Sounds like you have a ready to rock & roll solution there

Not a good time to sell a kit now really and from what I've seen, even selling over the summer has been pretty poor with prices offered at rock bottom. That said, please feel free to post a for sale ad in the 'for sale' section of the forum with some pics, also stick it on pistonheads too.

You are still welcome to join us on meets or events in your Elise

[bjw970s]

The J15 would have been a great choice - as you know built on the Riot chassis but the Elise is a track favourite too.

Sounds like you have a ready to rock & roll solution there

Not a good time to sell a kit now really and from what I've seen, even selling over the summer has been pretty poor with prices offered at rock bottom. That said, please feel free to post a for sale ad in the 'for sale' section of the forum with some pics, also stick it on pistonheads too.

You are still welcome to join us on meets or events in your Elise

Cheers!

I do still have my MIDAS which is undergoing some work for use next year

The blade is under offer but as you say no guarantees but as  full race car ready to go with full spares pack it should garner some interest.

Really liked the J15 and Jeremy was a pleasure to meet - just timing...

[tony.g]

Hi,
I have just bought a Stuart Taylor Locoblade which needs a new radiator.
I was thinking of going down the Polo route aswell.
Have you got any photos of the pipework you fitted, as it is totally different to my original rad, and i think i could end up with air locks if i don't get it right.
Thanks
Tony

[bjw970s]

I had my Radtech radiator repaired and refitted as it was a much better fit.  I have a polo rad for sale of interested - it was convenient for me to re-fit the radtech rad because of the repair and the brackets - email on bjw111@hotmail.com and I will see if I can find any pics

[tony.g]

Thanks for the offer of the rad, but i've got one already.
I've sent you an email and hopefully you can find some photos.
Cheers
Tony